It has been unseasonably sunny in Seattle much of this past week, and so I have been craving something lighter with a little heat! With my on-going love affair with finger foods still in full swing, I knew the best idea would be a spring roll. After playing with a few different ingredients, I stumbled upon this combination that provides possibly the world’s perfect bite. These are so yummy! They are refreshing and warming and delicious. I can’t wait for you to try them.
Although I love my classic, trusty peanut sauce recipe, I have recently been exploring variations of it, including this spicy Gochujang flavored version. The heat of the sauce bites through the creamy peanut butter, which perfectly coats the crunchy vegetables and sweet pink shrimp. Using tofu instead of shrimp is also delightful for a vegan version of the dish.
Gochujang a Korean fermented red chili paste that provides a spicy, sweet, and savory punch to this addictive sauce. The name even translates to “gochu” meaning chili and “jang” which means fermented! There are plenty of benefits of eating fermented foods, including promoting gut health though the introduction of probiotics and increasing your metabolism. Combined with all the other ingredients in this dipping sauce, Gochujang takes a starring role in the flavor profile and mixes beautifully with the other Asian-inspired tastes.
The best part about this dish is its versatility! You can use so many different kinds of vegetables and proteins and really customize it to your own taste. The sauce will go with it all, I promise! Additionally, this recipe provides enough for a side dish or appetizer for two people, or enjoy them all yourself for a light meal! They really do have it all: protein, fiber, healthy fats, veggies, and there is a fermented element to help with digestion!
Although you can switch it up if you like, I prefer these exactly as is. The shrimp is tender and buttery, and provides a variety of excellent health benefits. Not only is it a great source of protein, but they provide high amounts of selenium (over 100% DV!), vitamin B12, and phosphorous. Selenium is known to act as both a mineral important in immunity and thyroid function, but also as an important antioxidant. It is important to use wild-caught, fresh shrimp to avoid the use of antibiotics or fungicides, and give the best seafood flavor! I prefer to steam my shrimp for this recipe so I avoid having to use any added oils and they maintain a soft, consistent texture.
I am still working on my spring roll wrapping technique, but here are a few of my tips to keep the wrappers from ripping, sticking to themselves, or being too loose to create a neatly packaged (slightly bulging) spring roll:
Prep everything before beginning to roll: preparation is key to building spring rolls. Make sure everything is sliced, cooked, and cooled prior to beginning assembling.
Use plenty of cool water: soak each wrapper in a bowl of water for 30-40 seconds and keep it moist while on your rolling surface to keep it from drying out and becoming too tacky.
Work on a single roll at a time: once you’ve soaked your wrapper, you have a limited amount of time to work with it, so build and roll one at a time to keep the quality the best.
Be moderate with filling: do not overfill it! They will be much easier and tidier to roll if you aren’t trying to stretch and stuff the wrappers to make it fit.
Practice makes perfect: keep on rolling! The more fresh rolls you make, the more used to the process you will become, creating more and more beautiful little packages!
Shrimp & Veggie Spring Rolls with Spicy Gochujang Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
4 rice paper wrappers
1/2 cup rice noodles, cooked
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup daikon radish, julienned
1/3 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/3 cup zucchini, spiralized
1/4 cup carrot, cut into matchsticks
6 shrimp, cooked and cut in half
Gochujang Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon Gochujang paste
t tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1/2-1 teaspoon chili oil (as desired)
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons water
Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients for the Gochujang peanut sauce in a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside to let the flavors meld together.
Make sure all spring roll ingredients are prepared and organized.
Wet one spring roll wrapper and lay it flat on a smooth surface.
Add a layer of noodles, followed by vegetables in any order you would like.
Add shrimp a little further out from the original pile, so that when you roll everything together, the shrimp is separated and makes for a nice presentation.
Fold in side of wrapper to cover ingredients, and then fold over side closest to noodles and vegetables.
Continue rolling, tucking ingredients in and keeping wrapper tight.
Repeat until 4 spring rolls have been made, and serve with the Gochujang peanut sauce!
Makes: 4 rolls / ~1/2 cup dipping sauce
Time: 30 minutes
Let’s hope for more sunny Winter days and reasons for spring rolls! Bon Appétit!